Balance valve, battery and power consumption apparatus

ABSTRACT

A balance valve, a battery, and a power consumption apparatus are provided in the embodiments of the present application. The balance valve includes a body, a breathable membrane and a gas barrier structure, where the body is provided with a ventilation channel; the breathable membrane is arranged at one end of the ventilation channel; and, the gas barrier structure is arranged at the other end of the ventilation channel, and the gas barrier structure is configured to open the ventilation channel when the gas pressures inside and outside the gas barrier structure are unbalanced, so as to achieve the gas pressure balance between the inside and outside of the gas barrier structure. The balance valve is applicable to a battery, which could achieve a balance of gas pressures inside and outside the battery when there is a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the battery.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of International Application No.PCT/CN2021/092835, filed on May 10, 2021, which claims priority toChinese Patent Application No. 202010901521.X, filed on Aug. 31, 2020.The disclosures of the aforementioned applications are herebyincorporated by reference in their entireties.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

This application relates to the technical field of balance valves, andin particular to a balance valve, a battery and a power consumptionapparatus.

BACKGROUND

In the field of power batteries, due to the battery's own heating,cooling, and changes in the external environment temperature, there is apressure difference between the inside and outside of the battery, whichproduces a breathing effect and affects the battery's sealingperformance.

SUMMARY

The purpose of the present application is to provide a balance valveapplicable to a battery, which could achieve a balance of gas pressuresinside and outside the battery when there is a pressure differencebetween the inside and outside of the battery.

Another object of the present application is to provide a battery withan extended service life.

Another object of the present application is to provide a powerconsumption apparatus with a longer service life.

This application is realized through the following technical solutions:

On the one hand, an embodiment of the present application provides abalance valve, including:

a body, the body being provided with a ventilation channel;

a breathable membrane, the breathable membrane being arranged at one endof the ventilation channel, and the breathable membrane being configuredto maintain the gas circulation of the ventilation channel; and

a gas barrier structure, the gas barrier structure being arranged at theother end of the ventilation channel, and the gas barrier structurebeing configured to close the ventilation channel when the gas pressuresinside and outside the gas barrier structure are balanced, while the gasbarrier structure being configured to open the ventilation channel whenthe gas pressures inside and outside the gas barrier structure areunbalanced, so as to achieve a balance of the gas pressure inside andoutside the gas barrier structure.

According to the balance valve provided in the embodiment of the presentapplication, the gas barrier structure is provided, so that only whenthe gas pressures on both sides of the gas barrier structure areunbalanced, the gas barrier structure opens the ventilation channel torealize the gas circulation of the ventilation channel. When the gaspressures are balanced, the ventilation channel is closed, so that theventilation channel can prevent water vapor from continuously enteringan enclosed cavity through the breathable membrane, which effectivelyreduces the water vapor entering the enclosed cavity, thereby reducingthe accumulation of condensed water in the cavity.

In one solution of the present application, the gas barrier structureincludes a first barrier member and a second barrier member; when thegas pressure inside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gaspressure outside, the first barrier member is configured to be able toopen unidirectionally towards the outside; when the gas pressure outsidethe gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressure inside, thesecond barrier member is configured to be able to open unidirectionallytowards the inside; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrierstructure is balanced with the gas pressure inside, the first barriermember and the second barrier member are configured to close theventilation channel together.

In the above implementation, according to the difference between the gaspressures inside and outside the gas barrier structure, the firstbarrier member and the second barrier member act separately to realizethe opening or closing of the ventilation channel, thereby ensuring thegas pressure balance between the inside and outside of the gas barrierstructure.

In one solution of the present application, the gas barrier structurefurther includes a base, and the base is provided with a first throughhole and a second through hole, the first through hole and the secondthrough hole are both in communication with the ventilation channel;when the gas pressure inside the gas barrier structure is greater thanthe gas pressure outside, the first barrier member is configured to openthe first through hole; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrierstructure is greater than the gas pressure inside, the second barriermember is configured to open the second through hole; when the gaspressure outside the gas barrier structure is balanced with the gaspressure inside, the first barrier member closes the first through hole,and the second barrier member closes the second through hole.

In the above implementation, the first barrier member is matched withthe first through hole, and the second barrier member is matched withthe second through hole, and the corresponding through hole can beopened or closed according to the gas pressure difference between insideof and outside of the gas barrier structure, thereby the gas pressuresare balanced on both sides of the gas barrier structure.

In one solution of the present application, the first barrier member andthe second barrier member are respectively arranged at opposite sides ofthe base, the first barrier member is configured to block the firstthrough hole and expose the second through hole, and the second barriermember is configured to block the second through hole and expose thefirst through hole.

In the above implementation, the first barrier member and the secondbarrier member are respectively arranged on opposite sides of the base,where the first barrier member can block the first through hole andexpose the second through hole, and the second barrier member can beblock the second through hole and expose the first through hole. Whenthe gas pressure inside the gas barrier structure is greater than thegas pressure outside, the first barrier member can open the firstthrough hole, and the second barrier member can block the second throughhole so that gas can flow from the inside of the gas barrier structuretowards the outside until the gas pressures inside and outside the gasbarrier structure are balanced. On the contrary, when the gas pressureoutside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressureinside, the second barrier member can open the second through hole, andthe first barrier member can block the first through hole, so that thegas flows from the outside of the gas barrier structure towards theinside, until the gas pressures inside and outside the gas barrierstructure are balanced. When the gas pressure outside the gas barrierstructure is balanced with the gas pressure inside, the first barriermember blocks the first through hole, and the second barrier memberblocks the second through hole.

In one solution of the present application, both the first barriermember and the second barrier member are valve structures.

In the above implementation, the first barrier member and the secondbarrier member having the valve structures are easily opened followingthe change of the gas pressure, which facilitates the balance of the gaspressures inside and outside the gas barrier structure.

In one solution of the present application, the thickness of the secondbarrier member is greater than the thickness of the first barriermember.

In the above implementation, since the second barrier member isconfigured to open the second through hole when the gas pressure outsidethe gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressure inside, whenthe thickness of the second barrier member is greater than the thicknessof the first barrier member, the second barrier member is more difficultto be opened in comparison with the first barrier member, that is, itincreases the difficulty for the gas outside to enter the inside of thegas barrier structure, and prevents the water vapor from easily enteringthe inside of the gas barrier structure so as to reduce the accumulationof condensed water inside the gas barrier structure.

In one solution of the present application, the first barrier memberincludes a first fixing portion and a first opening-closing portion thatare connected, the second barrier member includes a second fixingportion and a second opening-closing portion that are connected, wherethe first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are both fixed tothe base; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure isbalanced with the gas pressure inside, the first opening-closing portionand the second opening-closing portion are both attached to the base,where the first opening-closing portion blocks the first through hole,while the second opening-closing portion blocks the second through hole;when the gas pressure inside the gas barrier structure is greater thanthe gas pressure outside, the first opening-closing portion is detachedfrom the base to open the first through hole; when the gas pressureoutside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressureinside, the second opening-closing portion is detached from the base toopen the second through hole.

In the above implementation, the first fixing portion and the secondfixing portion are both fixed to the base. According to the gas pressuredifference between the inside and outside of the gas barrier structure,the first opening-closing portion and the second opening-closing portionare attached to or detached from the base accordingly, so as to realizethe opening or closing of the corresponding through hole, and furtherrealize the balance of the gas pressures inside and outside the gasbarrier structure.

In one solution of the present application, the first fixing portion isfixed to the base through at least two fixing points, and/or the secondfixing portion is fixed to the base through at least two fixing points.

In the above implementation, the first fixing portion and the secondfixing portion are respectively fixed to the base through at least twofixing points to ensure that the first barrier member and the secondbarrier member will not rotate relative to the base when thecorresponding through hole is opened.

In one solution of the present application, the gas barrier structurefurther includes two rivets, both of the two rivets being configured topass through the first fixing portion, the base, and the second fixingportion so as to realize the fixation of the first barrier member, thesecond barrier member and the base.

In the above implementation, the first fixing portion, the base and thesecond fixing portion are fixed by two rivets, which makes the gasbarrier structure more compact as a whole and saves installation space.

In one solution of the present application, the cross-sectional area ofthe first through hole is larger than the cross-sectional area of thesecond through hole.

In the above implementation, the cross-sectional area of the firstthrough hole is greater than the cross-sectional area of the secondthrough hole, so that the gas inside the gas barrier structure can moreeasily flow to the outside of the gas barrier structure.

In one solution of the present application, the base is fixed connectionto the ventilation channel.

In the above implementation, the base is fixed to the ventilationchannel to prevent the gas barrier structure from moving relative to theventilation channel according to the gas pressure difference between theinside and outside, which facilitates the gas pressure balance betweenthe inside and outside of the gas barrier structure.

In one solution of the present application, the body includes a valvebody and a valve core, the valve core is configured to be movablyinstalled on the valve body, the ventilation channel is provided withthe valve core, and the breathable membrane and the gas barrierstructure are both fixed to the valve core.

In the above implementation, the valve core is configured to be movablyinstalled on the valve body, the ventilation channel is provided on thevalve core, and both of the breathable membrane and the gas barrierstructure are fixed to the valve core, so as to realize the installationand positioning of the breathable membrane and the gas barrierstructure.

In one solution of the present application, the valve body is providedwith a guide hole and a gas vent, the valve core includes a piston and aguide post, one end of the guide post is connected to the piston, andthe other end of the guide post is configured to movably pass throughthe guide hole, the piston is configured to abut against the valve body,the piston covers the gas vent, and the ventilation channel penetratesthe guide post and the piston.

In the above implementation, the ventilation channel penetrates theguide post and the piston to facilitate the installation of thebreathable membrane and the gas barrier structure.

In one solution of the present application, the body includes a valvebody and a valve core, the valve core is configured to be movablyinstalled on the valve body, the ventilation channel includes a firstsection and a second section communicating with each other, where thefirst section is provided on the valve body and the second section isprovided on the valve core, the breathable membrane is fixed to thevalve core or valve body, and the gas barrier structure is fixed to thevalve core or valve body.

In the above implementation, the breathable membrane and the gas barrierstructure include different installation positions, as long as thebreathable membrane and the gas barrier structure are located at bothends of the ventilation channel.

In one solution of the present application, the ventilation channelincludes opposite outer end and inner end, the breathable membrane isarranged at the outer end of the ventilation channel, and the gasbarrier structure is arranged at the inner end of the ventilationchannel.

In the above implementation, the breathable membrane is arranged at theouter end of the ventilation channel, and the gas barrier structure isarranged at the inner end of the ventilation channel, so that externaldust and moisture can be blocked from the outer end of the ventilationchannel.

In another aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides abattery, including a box, a battery cell, and the balance valve asdescribed above, where the battery cell is arranged in the box, and thebalance valve is arranged on the box.

In another aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides apower consumption apparatus, including the battery as described above.

The additional aspects and advantages of the present application will bepartially given in the following description, and part thereof willbecome obvious from the following description, or be understood throughthe practice of the present application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of thisapplication more clearly, the following briefly describes theaccompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments.Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following description showmerely some embodiments of this application, and a person of ordinaryskill in the art may derive other drawings from these accompanyingdrawings without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a vehicleprovided in this application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a batteryprovided in this application;

FIG. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a balancevalve provided in this application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of abalance valve provided in this application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a gasbarrier structure of a balance valve provided in this application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of another embodiment of a gasbarrier structure of a balance valve provided in this application;

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a further embodiment of agas barrier structure of a balance valve provided in this application;

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a still another embodimentof a gas barrier structure of a balance valve provided in thisapplication;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of the still another embodiment of the gasbarrier structure of the balance valve provided in this application;

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the body of abalance valve provided in this application;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the body of abalance valve provided in this application;

FIG. 12 is an axonometric exploded view of the another embodiment of thebody of the balance valve provided in this application;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a still another embodiment of thebody of a balance valve provided in this application.

Reference numbers: 100—balance valve; 10—body; 11—ventilation channel;111—first section; 112—second section; 12 a, 12 b—valve body; 121—guidehole; 122—gas vent; 13 a, 13 b—valve core; 131—piston; 132—guide post;14 a, 14 b—spring; 15—bonnet; 151—through hole; 30—breathable membrane;50—gas barrier structure; 501—opening-closing seam; 51 a, 51 b, 51c—first barrier member; 511—first fixing portion; 512—firstopening-closing portion; 52 a, 52 b, 52 c—second barrier member;521—second fixing portion; 522—second opening-closing portion; 53 b, 53c—base; 531 b, 531 c—first through hole; 532 b, 532 c—second throughhole; 54 a, 54 b—first elastic member; 55 a, 55 b—first limiting member;56 a, 56 b—second elastic member; 57 a, 57 b—second limiting member;58—fixing Point; 800—battery; 81—box; 900—vehicle; 91—controller;92—motor.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of theembodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutionsin the embodiments of the present application will be described in thefollowing clearly and completely in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, thedescribed embodiments are part of the embodiments of the presentapplication, but not all of the embodiments. The components of theembodiments of the present application generally described and shown inthe drawings herein may be arranged and designed in various differentconfigurations.

Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of thepresent application provided in the accompanying drawings is notintended to limit the claimed scope of the present application, butmerely represents selected embodiments of the present application. Basedon the embodiments in the present application, all other embodimentsobtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative workshall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters indicatesimilar items in the following drawings. Therefore, once a certain itemis defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined andexplained in the subsequent drawings.

In the description of the present application, the terms “first”,“second”, etc. are only used to distinguish the description, and cannotbe understood as indicating or implying relative importance. It shouldalso be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, theterms “arrange” and “connect” should be understood in a broad sense, forexample, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or anintegral connection; and, it can be a direct connection, an indirectconnection through an intermediate medium, or an internal communicationbetween two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, thespecific meaning of the above-mentioned terms in this application can beunderstood under specific circumstances.

The orientation words appearing in the following description are alldirections shown in the figures, and do not limit the specific structureof the present application. In the description of this application, itshould also be noted that, unless otherwise clearly defined and limited,the terms “install”, “connect”, and “connection” should be understood ina broad sense, for example, it may be a fixed connection or andetachable connection, or an integral connection; and, it can be directconnection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Forthose of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meaning of theabove-mentioned terms in this application can be understood underspecific circumstances.

As shown in FIG. 1, it is a simplified schematic diagram of a vehicle900 according to an embodiment of the present application. The vehicle900 may be a fuel vehicle, a gas vehicle, or a new energy vehicle, andthe new energy vehicle may be a pure electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle,or a range-extended vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, a battery 800 may beprovided inside the vehicle 900, for example, a battery 800 may beprovided on the bottom or the front or rear of the vehicle 900. Thebattery 800 may be used to power the vehicle 900, for example, thebattery 800 may be used as an operating power source of the vehicle 900.In addition, the vehicle 900 may further include a controller 91 and amotor 92. The controller 91 is used to control the battery 800 to supplypower to the motor 92, for example, for starting, navigating, andworking power requirements during driving of the vehicle 900. In anotherembodiment of the present application, the battery 800 can be used notonly as the operating power source for the vehicle 900, but also as adriving power source for the vehicle 900, replacing or partiallyreplacing fuel or natural gas to provide driving power to the vehicle900. The battery 800 referred to below can also be understood as abattery pack including a plurality of battery cells.

The battery 800 mentioned in the embodiment of the present applicationrefers to a single physical module including one or more battery cellsto provide higher voltage and capacity. For example, the battery 800mentioned in the present application may include a battery module or abattery pack. The battery cell includes a positive pole piece, anegative pole piece, electrolyte and a isolation membrane, which are thebasic structural units that make up the battery module and the batterypack. Battery cells are generally divided into three types according tothe way of packaging: cylindrical battery cells, square battery cellsand soft-pack battery cells.

A plurality of the battery cells can be connected in series and/or inparallel via electrode terminals for various applications. In somehigh-power applications such as electric vehicles, the application ofthe battery 800 includes three levels: battery cell, battery module, andbattery pack. The battery module is formed by electrically connecting acertain number of battery cells together and putting them into a framein order to protect the battery cells from external shock, heat,vibration, etc. The battery pack is the final state of a battery systeminstalled in the electric vehicle. Most of the current battery packs aremade by assembling various control and protection systems such as abattery management system and a thermal management component on one ormore battery modules. With the development of technology, the level ofbattery modules can be omitted, that is, battery packs are directlyformed from battery cells. This improvement allows the weight energydensity and volume energy density of the battery system to be increasedwhile the number of parts is significantly reduced. The batterymentioned in the present application includes a battery module or abattery pack.

In order to solve or at least partially solve the problem that thebattery in the prior art requires ventilation and other potentialproblems, the inventor of the present application proposes a battery800. As shown in FIG. 2, the battery 800 includes a box 81 and a batterycell (not shown in the figure) and a balance valve 100, the battery cellis arranged in the box 81, and the balance valve 100 is arranged on thebox 81. When the gas pressure inside and/or outside the box 81 changes,the balance valve 100 can be opened to balance the gas pressure insideand outside the box 81, so as to balance the gas pressure inside andoutside the box 81 to realize the ventilation of the box 81. It isunderstood that the battery described in the embodiments of the presentapplication is suitable for various devices that use batteries, such asmobile phones, portable devices, notebook, battery cars, electric cars,ships, spacecrafts, electric toys and electric tools, etc. For example,the spacecrafts include airplanes, rockets, space shuttles andspaceships, etc., and the electric toys include fixed or mobile electrictoys, such as game consoles, electric car toys, electric ship toys andelectric airplane toys, etc., while the electric tools include metalcutting power tools, grinding power tools, assembly power tools andrailway power tools, such as electric drills, electric grinders,electric wrenches, electric screwdrivers, electric hammers, impactdrills, concrete vibrators and electric planers.

The battery described in the embodiment of the present application isnot only applicable to the above-described power consumption apparatus,but also applicable to all equipment that uses the battery.

The embodiment of the present application provides a balance valve,which is arranged on an enclosed cavity and used to balance the gaspressures inside the enclosed cavity and the outside. In the embodimentof the present application, the enclosed cavity is described by takingthe box of the battery as an example.

In the following, for the convenience of description, the side close tothe inside of the enclosed cavity is defined as “inside”, and the sidefar away from the inside of the enclosed cavity is defined as “outside”.In the figures, the letter I is used to indicate “inside” and the letterO is used to indicate “outside”.

Please refer to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, which are schematic diagrams of thestructure of the balance valve 100. The balance valve 100 includes abody 10, a breathable membrane 30 and a gas barrier structure 50. Thebody 10 is provided with a ventilation channel 11, and the inside andthe outside of the enclosed cavity are in gas communication through theventilation channel 11. The breathable membrane 30 is arranged at oneend of the ventilation channel 11, and the gas barrier structure 50 isarranged at the other end of the ventilation channel 11. The breathablemembrane 30 is used to maintain the gas circulation of the ventilationchannel 11, and the breathable membrane 30 can block dust and water, butcannot block water vapor.

It should be noted that the above “the breathable membrane is arrangedat one end of the ventilation channel, and the gas barrier structure isarranged at the other end of the ventilation channel” only means thatthe breathable membrane and the gas barrier structure are arranged atintervals along the extending direction of the ventilation channel, andis not limited to that the breathable membrane and the gas barrierstructure must be located near the two end surfaces of the ventilationchannel. It should be understood that the breathable membrane and/or gasbarrier structure may also be arranged inside the ventilation channel.

In the embodiment of the present application, when the gas pressuresinside and outside the gas barrier structure 50 are balanced, the gasbarrier structure 50 is configured to close the ventilation channel 11;when the gas pressures inside and outside the gas barrier structure 50are unbalanced, the gas barrier structure 50 is configured to open theventilation channel 11 to achieve the gas pressure balance between theinside and outside of the gas barrier structure 50. By providing the gasbarrier structure 50, the gas barrier structure 50 opens the ventilationchannel 11 only when the pressures on both sides of the gas barrierstructure 50 are unbalanced, and closes the ventilation channel 11 whenthey are balanced, thereby preventing the water vapor from continuouslyentering the inside of the enclosed cavity by passing through thebreathable membrane 30, and effectively reducing the water vaporentering the enclosed cavity, which reduces the accumulation ofcondensed water in the enclosed cavity, and prolongs the service life ofthe electrical elements in the battery box using the balance valve 100.

The gas barrier structure 50 of the present application may include anyappropriate structure as long as it can achieve the above-mentioned gasbarrier function.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the gas barrier structure 50 maybe a membrane formed of an elastic material, where the outer edge of themembrane is fixed to the ventilation channel 11 (as shown in FIG. 3 andFIG. 4), and an opening-closing seam 501 is provided on the membrane.The opening-closing seam 501 is closed and the gas on both sides of themembrane cannot flow through when the gas pressures on both sides arebalanced. When the gas pressures on both sides are unbalanced, theopening-closing seam 501 is opened to allow the gas to pass through.

Further, the opening-closing seam 501 can be located at the center ofthe membrane, so that the force on the membrane is uniform, and theservice life of the membrane is prolonged.

The number of the opening-closing seams 501 may be one or more. In anembodiment, there are two opening-closing seams 501, and the twoopening-closing seams 501 cross each other, which can ensure the flowingamount of the gas when opening-closing, and avoid excessive gas flowfrom breaking through the membrane.

In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 6, the gas barrier structure 50includes a first barrier member 51 a, a second barrier member 52 a, afirst elastic member 54 a, and a second elastic member 56 a. One end ofthe first barrier member 51 a and the ventilation channel 11 areconnected, while the other end of the first barrier member 51 a is afree end. The first elastic member 54 a is used to maintain the firstbarrier member 51 a in an initial position. One end of the secondbarrier member 52 a is connected to the ventilation channel 11, whilethe other end of the second barrier member 52 a is a free end. Thesecond elastic member 56 a is used to maintain the second barrier member52 a in an initial position. When the first barrier member 51 a and thesecond barrier member 52 a are both in initial positions, the firstbarrier member 51 a and the second barrier member 52 a are configured tojointly close the ventilation channel 11. When the gas pressure insidethe gas barrier structure 50 is greater than the gas pressure outside,the first barrier member 51 a is configured to be able to openunidirectionally to the outside, so that the gas inside the gas barrierstructure 50 flows to the outside until the gas pressure inside the gasbarrier structure 50 is balanced with the gas pressure outside. When thegas pressure outside the gas barrier structure 50 is greater than thegas pressure inside, the second barrier member 52 a is configured to beable to open unidirectionally to the inside, so that the gas outside thegas barrier structure 50 flows inward until the gas pressure outside thegas barrier structure 50 is balanced with the gas pressure inside. Whenthe gas pressure outside and the gas pressure inside the gas barrierstructure 50 are balanced, the first barrier member 51 a and the secondbarrier member 52 a are both in the initial positions. At this time, thefirst barrier member 51 a and the second barrier member 52 a prevent thegas inside the gas barrier structure 50 from exchanging with the gasoutside to prevent the water vapor outside from continuously enteringthe inside of the gas barrier structure 50.

Further, in order to prevent the first barrier member 51 a from movingtowards the inside, the gas barrier structure 50 further includes afirst limiting member 55 a which is arranged inside the first barriermember 51 a. When the first barrier member 51 a is in the initialposition, the first limiting member 55 a can prevent the first barriermember 51 a from moving towards the inside, so that the first barriermember 51 a can be unidirectionally opened towards the outside. In orderto prevent the second barrier member 52 a from moving towards theoutside, the gas barrier structure 50 further includes a second limitingmember 57 a. The second limiting member 57 a is arranged outside thesecond barrier member 52 a. When the second barrier member 52 a is inthe initial position, the second limiting member 57 a can prevent thesecond barrier member 52 a from moving towards the outside, so that thesecond barrier member 52 a can be unidirectionally opened towards theinside.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the gas barrier structure 50includes a first barrier member 51 b, a second barrier member 52 b, anda base 53 b. The base 53 b is provided with a first through hole 531 band a second through hole 532 b, and both the first through hole 531 band the second through hole 532 b are in communication with theventilation channel 11. The first barrier member 51 b is arranged in thefirst through hole 531 b, and the second barrier member 52 b is arrangedin the second through hole 532 b.

The base 53 b is arranged in the ventilation channel 11, and the base 53b serves as an installation basis of the first barrier member 51 b andthe second barrier member 52 b. By arranging the first barrier member 51b in the first through hole 531 b and the second barrier member 52 b inthe second through hole 532 b, the structure of the gas barrierstructure 50 is compact and the space occupied is small.

When the gas pressure inside the gas barrier structure 50 is greaterthan the gas pressure outside, the first barrier member 51 b isconfigured to open the first through hole 531 b. At this time, thesecond barrier member 52 b is configured to block the second throughhole 532 b, and the gas inside the gas barrier structure 50 flows to theoutside of the gas barrier structure 50 through the first through hole531 b. When the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure 50 isgreater than the gas pressure inside, the second barrier member 52 b isconfigured to open the second through hole 532 b. At this time, thefirst barrier member 51 b is configured to block the first through hole531 b, and the gas outside the gas barrier structure 50 flows to theinside of the gas barrier structure 50 through the second through hole532 b. When the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure 50 isbalanced with the gas pressure inside, the first barrier member 51 bblocks the first through hole 531 b, and the second barrier member 52 bblocks the second through hole 532 b. At this time, the first barriermember 51 b and the second barrier member 52 b are both in the initialpositions, the gas inside and outside the gas barrier structure 50 donot exchange.

Through the match of the first barrier member 51 b and the first throughhole 531 b, and the match of the second barrier member 52 b and thesecond through hole 532 b, the corresponding through hole can be openedor closed according to the gas pressure difference between the insideand outside of the gas barrier structure 50 to achieve the gas pressurebalance between the inside and outside of the gas barrier structure 50.

Further, in order to enable the first barrier member 51 b to be reset toblock the first through hole 531 b after being opened, and to enable thesecond barrier member 52 b to be reset to block the second through hole532 b after being opened, the gas barrier structure 50 further includesa first elastic member 54 b, a second elastic member 56 b, where one endof the first barrier member 51 b is connected to the wall of the firstthrough hole 531 b, and the other end of the first barrier member 51 bis a free end. The first elastic member 54 b is used to maintain thefirst barrier member 51 b in the initial position. One end of the secondbarrier member 52 b is connected to the wall of the second through hole532 b, and the other end of the second barrier member 52 b is a freeend. The second elastic member 56 b is used to maintain the secondbarrier member 52 b in the initial position.

Further, in order to realize that the first barrier member 51 b and thesecond barrier member 52 b can be opened at one side, the gas barrierstructure 50 further includes a first limiting member 55 b and a secondlimiting member 57 b. The first limiting member 55 b is arranged insidethe first barrier member 51 b. When the first barrier member 51 b is inthe initial position, the first limiting member 55 b can prevent thefirst barrier member 51 b from moving towards the inside. The secondlimiting member 57 b is arranged outside the second barrier member 52 b.When the second barrier member 52 b is in the initial position, thesecond limiting member 57 b can prevent the second barrier member 52 bfrom moving towards the outside.

In one embodiment, referring to FIG. 8, the gas barrier structure 50includes a first barrier member 51 c, a second barrier member 52 c, anda base 53 c. The base 53 c is provided with a first through hole 531 cand a second through hole 532 c, and both the first through hole 531 cand the second through hole 532 c are in communication with theventilation channel 11. The first barrier member 51 c and the secondbarrier member 52 c are respectively arranged at opposite sides of thebase 53 c. The first barrier member 51 c is configured to block thefirst through hole 531 c and expose the second through hole 532 c. Thesecond barrier member 52 c is configured to block the second throughhole 532 c and expose the first through hole 531 c.

The base 53 c is arranged in the ventilation channel 11, and the base 53c serves as an installation basis of the first barrier member 51 c andthe second barrier member 52 c. By arranging the first barrier member 51c and the second barrier member 52 c at both sides of the base 53 c, itis convenient to realize the installation of the first barrier member 51c and the second barrier member 52 c.

When the gas pressure inside the gas barrier structure 50 is greaterthan the gas pressure outside, the first barrier member 51 c can openthe first through hole 531 c, and the second barrier member 52 c canblock the second through hole 532 c, so that gas can flow from theinside of the gas barrier structure 50 towards the outside through thefirst through hole 531 c until the gas pressures inside and outside thegas barrier structure 50 are balanced. Conversely, when the gas pressureoutside the gas barrier structure 50 is greater than the gas pressureinside, the second barrier member 52 c can open the second through hole532 c, and the first barrier member 51 c can block the first throughhole 531 c, so that gas can flow from the outside of the gas barrierstructure 50 towards the inside through the second through hole 532 cuntil the gas pressures inside and outside the gas barrier structure 50are balanced. When the gas pressures outside and the gas pressure insidethe gas barrier structure 50 are balanced, the first barrier member 51 cblocks the first through hole 531 c, and the second barrier member 52 cblocks the second through hole 532 c. The gas inside and outside the gasbarrier structure 50 do not exchange with each other.

In an embodiment, the bases 53 b and 53 c may be fixed to theventilation channel 11, for example, by means of interference fit,welding, bonding, or bolting between the bases 53 b and 53 c and theventilation channel 11. The bases 53 b and 53 c can also be floated andarranged in the ventilation channel 11, that is, the bases 53 b and 53 ccan make a piston-like movement in the ventilation channel 11. Byfloating and arranging the bases 53 b and 53 c in the ventilationchannel 11, the movement of the bases 53 b and 53 c can be used tobuffer the partial gas pressure, and the service life of the gas barrierstructure 50 can be prolonged.

In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, the first barrier member 51 c andthe second barrier member 52 c may be of valve structures. The firstbarrier member 51 c and the second barrier member 52 c having the valvestructures are easy to open following the change of the gas pressure,which facilitates the balance of the gas pressure inside and outside thegas barrier structure 50. The material of the valve structure here canbe, but is not limited to, an elastic material (such as rubber orsilicone), which can be deformed in response to changes in gas pressuresinside and outside to open or close the corresponding through holes.

Further, the first barrier member 51 c includes a first fixing portion511 and a first opening-closing portion 512 that are connected, and thesecond barrier member 52 c includes a second fixing portion 521 and asecond opening-closing portion 522 that are connected, and both thefirst fixing portion 511 and the second fixing portion 521 are fixed tothe base 53 c. The first fixing portion 511 and the second fixingportion 521 are both fixed to the base 53 c to realize the connectionbetween the first barrier member 51 c and the second barrier member 52 cand the base 53 c. The first opening-closing portion 512 can be attachedto or detached from the base 53 c, so as to block the first through hole531 c or open the first through hole 531 c. The second opening-closingportion 522 can be attached to or detached from the base 53 c, so as toblock the second through hole 532 c or open the second through hole 532c. In this embodiment, when the gas pressures on both sides areunbalanced, the first barrier member 51 c or the second barrier member52 c is elastically deformed to realize the opening of the through hole.After the gas pressures on both sides are balanced, the first barriermember 51 c or the second barrier member 52 c are automatically restoredto block the through hole, so there is no need to additionally providean elastic reset member, resulting in the simplified structure of thegas barrier structure 50, the simple assembly, and the lower cost.

When the gas pressures outside and inside the gas barrier structure 50are balanced, the first opening-closing portion 512 and the secondopening-closing portion 522 are both attached to the base 53 c, wherethe first opening-closing portion 512 blocks the first through hole 531c, and the second opening-closing portion 522 blocks the second throughhole 532 c. At this time, the gas inside and outside the gas barrierstructure 50 do not circulate. When the gas pressure inside the gasbarrier structure 50 is greater than the gas pressure outside, the firstopening-closing portion 512 is detached from the base 53 c to open thefirst through hole 531 c. At this time, the second opening-closingportion 522 blocks the second through hole 532 c, and the gas inside thegas barrier structure 50 can flow to the outside through the firstthrough hole 531 c. When the gas pressure outside the gas barrierstructure 50 is greater than the gas pressure inside, the secondopening-closing portion 522 is detached from the base 53 c to open thesecond through hole 532 c. At this time, the first opening-closingportion 512 blocks the first through hole 531 c, and the gas outside thegas barrier structure 50 can flow inward through the second through hole532 c.

Further, the first fixing portion 511 is fixed to the base 53 c by atleast two fixing points, and/or the second fixing portion 521 is fixedto the base 53 c by at least two fixing points. The first fixing portion511 and the second fixing portion 521 are respectively fixed to the base53 c through at least two fixing points, ensuring that the first barriermember 51 c and the second barrier member 52 c do not rotate relative tothe base 53 c when the corresponding through hole is opened.

Optionally, the first fixing portion 511 is fixed to the base 53 c by atleast two fixing points, and the second fixing portion 521 is also fixedto the base 53 c by at least two fixing points.

Preferably, as shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the first fixing portion 511and the second fixing portion 521 are jointly fixed to the base 53 c bytwo fixing points 58, and the first fixing portion 511, the base 53 cand the second fixing portion 521 are fixed by the two fixing points 58,which makes the gas barrier structure 50 more compact as a whole andsaves installation space. In an embodiment, the fixing points 58 may berivets to ensure the connection strength of the first fixing portion511, the second fixing portion 521 and the base 53 c. In otherembodiments, the fixing points 58 may also be fasteners such as boltsand screws.

It should be pointed out that the opening pressures of the first barriermembers 51 a, 51 b, 51 c and the second barrier members 52 a, 52 b, 52 cmay be the same or different. When the opening pressures of the firstbarrier members 51 a, 51 b, 51 c and the second barrier members 52 a, 52b, 52 c are different, the opening pressures of the second barriermembers 52 a, 52 b, 52 c may be greater than the opening pressures ofthe first barrier members Ma, 51 b, Mc, so that the gas in the enclosedcavity can easily flow to the outside, while the external gas cannoteasily enter the enclosed cavity.

Therefore, in an embodiment, the elastic coefficients of the secondelastic members 56 a, 56 b may be greater than the elastic coefficientsof the first elastic members Ma, 54 b, so that the opening pressures ofthe second barrier members 52 a, 52 b are greater than that of the firstbarrier members 51 a, 51 b.

In an embodiment, the thickness of the second barrier member 52 c may begreater than the thickness of the first barrier member 51 c, so that thesecond barrier member 52 c is more difficult to deform than the firstbarrier member 51 c, thereby making the opening pressure of the secondbarrier member 52 c be greater than the opening pressure of the firstbarrier member 51 c.

Optionally, the cross-sectional area of the second through hole 532 c issmaller than the cross-sectional area of the first through hole 531 c,so that the gas inside the enclosed cavity is more easily discharged tothe outside.

In the present application, the ventilation channel 11 includes oppositeinner end and outer end, where the inner end refers to the end close tothe inside of the enclosed cavity, and the outer end refers to the endclose to the outside. In one embodiment, the gas barrier structure 50may be arranged at a position close to the inner end of the ventilationchannel 11, and the breathable membrane 30 may be arranged near theouter end of the ventilation channel 11, which can effectively preventdust and the like from entering the ventilation channel 11 andaccumulating between the breathable membrane 30 and the gas barrierstructure 50 to form blockage. In another embodiment, the gas barrierstructure 50 may be arranged at a position close to the outer end of theventilation channel 11, and the breathable membrane 30 may be arrangedat a position close to the inner end of the ventilation channel 11.

In an embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the body 10 may be an integralstructure. In this case, the body 10 can be fixed on the enclosedcavity.

As shown in FIG. 11, FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the body 10 may also be asplit structure, and the body 10 includes a valve body 12 a and a valvecore 13 a. The valve body 12 a is used to be fixed on the enclosedcavity, and the valve core 13 a is used to be movably installed on thevalve body 12 a.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the ventilation channel 11 maybe provided in the valve core 13 a, and the breathable membrane 30 andthe gas barrier structure 50 are both fixed to the valve core 13 a.

As shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, the valve body 12 a is provided with aguide hole 121 and a gas vent 122. The guide hole 121 is used to guidethe valve core 13 a, and the gas vent 122 is used for communication ofthe inside and outside of the enclosed cavity. The valve core 13 aincludes a piston 131 and a guide post 132. One end of the guide post132 is connected to the piston 131, and the other end of the guide post132 is used to movably pass through the guide hole 121. The piston 131is used to abut against the valve body 12 a, and the piston 131 coversthe gas vent 122. The ventilation channel 11 penetrates the guide post132 and the piston 131 to facilitate the installation of the breathablemembrane 30 and the gas barrier structure 50.

Furthermore, the balance valve 100 further includes a spring 14 a thatis elastically supported between the guide post 132 and the valve body12 a. The spring 14 a is used to push the piston 131 against the valvebody 12 a so that the piston 131 covers the gas vent 122. When the gaspressure inside the enclosed cavity is much greater than the gaspressure outside, the gas pressure inside the enclosed cavity overcomesthe elastic force of the spring 14 a to open the piston 131 so as toopen the gas vent 122, so that the gas inside the enclosed cavitydischarges through the gas vent 122 quickly, and therefore the gaspressure inside the enclosed cavity is balanced with the gas pressureoutside, which has an explosion-proof function.

Preferably, the breathable membrane 30 is arranged on the piston 131,and the gas barrier structure 50 is arranged on the end of the guidepost 132 away from the piston 131. This arrangement can block externaldust and liquid water at the outer end of the ventilation channel 11 sothat external dust and liquid water cannot enter the ventilation channel11. In other embodiments, the positions of the breathable membrane 30and the gas barrier structure 50 can also be interchanged, that is, thebreathable membrane 30 is arranged at the end of the guide post 132 awayfrom the piston 131, and the gas barrier structure 50 is arranged on thepiston 131.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the ventilation channel 11includes a first section 111 and a second section 112 that communicatewith each other. The first section 111 is provided on the valve body 12b, and the second section 112 is provided on the valve core 13 b. Thebreathable membrane 30 can be fixed to the valve core 13 b, and the gasbarrier structure 50 can be fixed to the valve body 12 b.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, the valve body 12 b is a hollowstructure. Both ends of the valve body 12 b are open. One end of thevalve body 12 b is opened to form the first section 111 of theventilation channel 11, and the other end of the valve body 12 b isopened for the penetration of the valve core 13 b. The valve core 13 bis arranged inside the valve body 12 b and includes a hollow structureinside, and the hollow structure of the valve core 13 b forms the secondsection 112 of the ventilation channel 11. The valve core 13 b iscoaxially arranged with the valve body 12 b. The open end of the valvebody 12 b away from the first section 111 is provided with a bonnet 15,and the bonnet 15 is provided with a through hole 151 communicating withthe inside of the valve body 12 b and the outside. A spring 14 b isarranged between the bonnet 15 and the valve core 13 b. The spring 14 bpresses the valve core 13 b against the valve body 12 b, and the valvecore 13 b and the valve body 12 b are in an enclosed fit. When theventilation channel 11 is opened, the gas inside the enclosed cavity canexchange with the gas outside through the first section 111, the secondsection 112 and the through hole 151 of the bonnet 15.

In other embodiments, the breathable membrane 30 and the gas barrierstructure 50 may both arranged on the valve body 12 b, or may also bearranged on the valve core 13 b, or the breathable membrane 30 may bearranged on the valve body 12 b, while the gas barrier structure 50 maybe arranged on the valve core 13 b.

Optionally, the breathable membrane 30 is arranged on the valve core 13b, and the gas barrier structure 50 is arranged on the valve body 12 b.

It should be noted that although in the above, it only lists thescenarios where the balance valve 100 is applied to the battery, thepresent application is not limited to this, and the balance valve 100can also be applied to other devices with an enclosed cavity.

It should be noted that, in the case of no conflict, the features in theembodiments of the present application can be combined with each other.

The foregoing descriptions are only preferred embodiments of thisapplication, and are not intended to limit the present application. Forthose skilled in the art, the application can include variousmodifications and changes. Any modification, equivalent replacement,improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of thisapplication shall be included in the protection scopes of thisapplication.

What is claimed is:
 1. A balance valve, comprising: a body, the body being provided with a ventilation channel; a breathable membrane, the breathable membrane being arranged at one end of the ventilation channel, and the breathable membrane being configured to maintain a gas circulation of the ventilation channel; and a gas barrier structure, the gas barrier structure being arranged at an other end of the ventilation channel, and the gas barrier structure being configured to close the ventilation channel when gas pressures inside and outside the gas barrier structure are balanced, while the gas barrier structure being configured to open the ventilation channel when the gas pressures inside and outside the gas barrier structure are unbalanced, so as to achieve a balance of the gas pressure inside and outside the gas barrier structure.
 2. The balance valve according to claim 1, wherein the gas barrier structure comprises a first barrier member and a second barrier member; when the gas pressure inside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressure outside, the first barrier member is configured to be able to open unidirectionally towards the outside; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressure inside, the second barrier member is configured to be able to open unidirectionally towards the inside; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure is balanced with the gas pressure inside, the first barrier member and the second barrier member are configured to close the ventilation channel together.
 3. The balance valve according to claim 2, wherein the gas barrier structure further comprises a base, and the base is provided with a first through hole and a second through hole, the first through hole and the second through hole are both in communication with the ventilation channel; when the gas pressure inside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressure outside, the first barrier member is configured to open the first through hole; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressure inside, the second barrier member is configured to open the second through hole; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure is balanced with the gas pressure inside, the first barrier member closes the first through hole, and the second barrier member closes the second through hole.
 4. The balance valve according to claim 3, wherein the first barrier member and the second barrier member are respectively arranged at opposite sides of the base, the first barrier member is configured to block the first through hole and expose the second through hole, and the second barrier member is configured to block the second through hole and expose the first through hole.
 5. The balance valve according to claim 4, wherein both the first barrier member and the second barrier member are valve structures.
 6. The balance valve according to claim 5, wherein the thickness of the second barrier member is greater than the thickness of the first barrier member.
 7. The balance valve according to claim 5, wherein the first barrier member comprises a first fixing portion and a first opening-closing portion that are connected, the second barrier member comprises a second fixing portion and a second opening-closing portion that are connected, the first fixing portion and the second fixing portion are both fixed to the base; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure is balanced with the gas pressure inside, the first opening-closing portion and the second opening-closing portion are both attached to the base, wherein the first opening-closing portion blocks the first through hole, while the second opening-closing portion blocks the second through hole; when the gas pressure inside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressure outside, the first opening-closing portion is detached from the base to open the first through hole; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressure inside, the second opening-closing portion is detached from the base to open the second through hole.
 8. The balance valve according to claim 7, wherein the first fixing portion is fixed to the base through at least two fixing points, and/or the second fixing portion is fixed to the base through at least two fixing points.
 9. The balance valve according to claim 8, wherein the gas barrier structure further comprises two rivets, both of the two rivets being configured to pass through the first fixing portion, the base and the second fixing portion so as to realize a fixation of the first barrier member, the second barrier member and the base.
 10. The balance valve according to claim 3, wherein a cross-sectional area of the first through hole is greater than a cross-sectional area of the second through hole.
 11. The balance valve according to claim 3, wherein the base is fixed connection to the ventilation channel.
 12. The balance valve according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises a valve body and a valve core, the valve core is configured to be movably installed on the valve body, the ventilation channel is provided with the valve core, and the breathable membrane and the gas barrier structure are both fixed to the valve core.
 13. The balance valve according to claim 12, wherein the valve body is provided with a guide hole and a gas vent, the valve core comprises a piston and a guide post, one end of the guide post is connected to the piston, and an other end of the guide post is configured to movably pass through the guide hole, the piston is configured to abut against the valve body, the piston covers the gas vent, and the ventilation channel penetrates the guide post and the piston.
 14. The balance valve according to claim 1, wherein the body comprises a valve body and a valve core, the valve core is configured to be movably installed on the valve body, the ventilation channel comprises a first section and a second section communicating with each other, the first section is provided on the valve body, the second section is provided on the valve core, the breathable membrane is fixed to the valve core or valve body, and the gas barrier structure is fixed to the valve core or valve body.
 15. The balance valve according to claim 1, wherein the ventilation channel comprises opposite outer end and inner end, the breathable membrane is arranged at the outer end of the ventilation channel, and the gas barrier structure is arranged at the inner end of the ventilation channel.
 16. A battery, comprising a box, a battery cell and a balance valve, wherein the battery cell is arranged in the box, and the balance valve is arranged on the box and comprises: a body, the body being provided with a ventilation channel; a breathable membrane, the breathable membrane being arranged at one end of the ventilation channel, and the breathable membrane being configured to maintain a gas circulation of the ventilation channel; and a gas barrier structure, the gas barrier structure being arranged at an other end of the ventilation channel, and the gas barrier structure being configured to close the ventilation channel when gas pressures inside and outside the gas barrier structure are balanced, while the gas barrier structure being configured to open the ventilation channel when the gas pressures inside and outside the gas barrier structure are unbalanced, so as to achieve a balance of the gas pressure inside and outside the gas barrier structure.
 17. The battery according to claim 16, wherein the gas barrier structure comprises a first barrier member and a second barrier member; when the gas pressure inside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressure outside, the first barrier member is configured to be able to open unidirectionally towards the outside; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressure inside, the second barrier member is configured to be able to open unidirectionally towards the inside; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure is balanced with the gas pressure inside, the first barrier member and the second barrier member are configured to close the ventilation channel together.
 18. The battery according to claim 17, wherein the gas barrier structure further comprises a base, and the base is provided with a first through hole and a second through hole, the first through hole and the second through hole are both in communication with the ventilation channel; when the gas pressure inside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressure outside, the first barrier member is configured to open the first through hole; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure is greater than the gas pressure inside, the second barrier member is configured to open the second through hole; when the gas pressure outside the gas barrier structure is balanced with the gas pressure inside, the first barrier member closes the first through hole, and the second barrier member closes the second through hole.
 19. The battery according to claim 18, wherein the first barrier member and the second barrier member are respectively arranged at opposite sides of the base, the first barrier member is configured to block the first through hole and expose the second through hole, and the second barrier member is configured to block the second through hole and expose the first through hole.
 20. A power consumption apparatus, comprising the battery according to claim
 16. 